DNA testing has revealed that Hatch, the world's most famous ship's dog, was male, not female.
The unfortunate Hatch the dog went down with the English warship Mary Rose in July 1545 along with around 500 sailors when she sank whilst fighting the French (who else?) in the Battle of the Solent, situated between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, during the Italian Wars, whilst Henry VIII looked on in horror.
The dog acquired the nickname Hatch after divers found its remains near the sliding hatch door of the Mary Rose's carpenter's cabin.
Experts believe the hound, estimated to have been between 18 months' and two years' old, earned his keep as the ship's ratter – superstitious Tudor seafarers did not have cats on board ship as they were thought to bring bad luck.
Hatch's remains went on display four years ago at the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, where some of the 19,000 objects from Henry VIII's ill-fated flagship are on show. The museum opened in 1984 but was recently rebuilt, opening in May 2013. The complete conservation of the ship will be finished in 2016, when she will be fully integrated with the new museum environment.
The well-preserved skeleton of the hound, which has just a few teeth and paw bones missing, was excavated when it was brought to the surface of the Solent in 1982.
She's a boy! Five hundred years after she went down with the ship, DNA testing reveals Mary Rose's dog Hatch was male
Hatch drowned with the crew of the Mary Rose on July 19, 1545
Now emerged that the hound and the only known female aboard, was male
New DNA test results reveal more accurate details about Hatch
Testing said it had many characteristics with modern breed of Jack Russell
Ship was rediscovered in 1971 and the entire contents was excavated between 1979 and 1982
By Thomas Burrows for MailOnline
19 October 2014
Daily Mail
She is the world's most famous sea dog who went down with her ship almost 500 years ago.
But now it has emerged that Hatch, who drowned with the crew of the Mary Rose and the only known female aboard, was male.
DNA testing of the crew has revealed the true sex of the unfortunate hound, who acquired the nickname Hatch after divers found the dog's remains near the sliding hatch door of the Mary Rose's carpenter's cabin.
New DNA test results have revealed that Hatch - the world's most famous sea dog - was in fact a male
The Mary Rose sank on July 19, 1545 during the Battle of the Solent, taking with her 500 men and Hatch the dog
Experts believe the hound, estimated to have been between 18 months' and two years' old, earned his keep as the ship's ratter – superstitious Tudor seafarers did not have cats on board ship as they were thought to bring bad luck.
Hatch's remains went on display four years ago at the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, where some of the 19,000 objects from Henry VIII's ill-fated flagship are on show.
The well-preserved skeleton of the hound, which has just a few teeth and paw bones missing, was excavated when it was brought to the surface of the Solent in 1982.
Without DNA testing available (DNA profiling was not announced by the University of Leicester until 1986), experts had to arrange the dog's bones by hand and came to the conclusion that Hatch was a female because of the size and characteristics of the bones.
They were also able to establish from the size, shape and composition that Hatch did not receive much exercise.
The Mary Rose was rediscovered in 1971 and between 1979 and 1982 the entire contents of the ship were excavated
The Mary Rose, which was completed in 1512, sank as she defended England from a French invasion force
But the new DNA test results published in Forensic Science International Journal detail more accurate details about the dog.
Maritime archaeologist Alex Hildred, who co-authored the new report, told the Independent: 'Genomic DNA extraction is something that we have only recently been able to use in amplifying ancient DNA.
It can give us the sex, colourings, coat and regressive genes and confirm that Hatch is in fact a boy dog.'
The testing also suggests Hatch shared many genetic characteristics with the modern breed of Jack Russell.
The hound was most likely a cross-breed which shared some similarities with a whippet but with a dark brown and curly coat.
On May 31 last year, the new £35m Mary Rose Museum was opened in Portsmouth which shows off the artefacts raised
The Mary Rose today in the new museum. Her complete conservation will be finished in 2016, when she will be fully integrated with the new museum environment
The rebuilt Mary Rose Museum, next to Royal Navy ship HMS Victory in Portsmouth, opened in May 2013
How the ship lies inside the museum
After 34 years at sea and three wars, against France, Scotland and Brittany, the Mary Rose had been regarded by many as invincible.
Then, as she defended England from a French invasion force, she sank taking with her 500 men and a treasure trove of Tudor history with her to the seafloor on July 19, 1545.
The ship was rediscovered by divers in 1971 and between 1979 and 1982 the entire contents of the ship were excavated resulting in the recovery of around 20,000 objects.
Last year, a new £35million museum was unveiled in Portsmouth which shows off many thousands of the artefacts raised from the wreck.
The unfortunate Hatch the dog went down with the English warship Mary Rose in July 1545 along with around 500 sailors when she sank whilst fighting the French (who else?) in the Battle of the Solent, situated between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, during the Italian Wars, whilst Henry VIII looked on in horror.
The dog acquired the nickname Hatch after divers found its remains near the sliding hatch door of the Mary Rose's carpenter's cabin.
Experts believe the hound, estimated to have been between 18 months' and two years' old, earned his keep as the ship's ratter – superstitious Tudor seafarers did not have cats on board ship as they were thought to bring bad luck.
Hatch's remains went on display four years ago at the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, where some of the 19,000 objects from Henry VIII's ill-fated flagship are on show. The museum opened in 1984 but was recently rebuilt, opening in May 2013. The complete conservation of the ship will be finished in 2016, when she will be fully integrated with the new museum environment.
The well-preserved skeleton of the hound, which has just a few teeth and paw bones missing, was excavated when it was brought to the surface of the Solent in 1982.
She's a boy! Five hundred years after she went down with the ship, DNA testing reveals Mary Rose's dog Hatch was male
Hatch drowned with the crew of the Mary Rose on July 19, 1545
Now emerged that the hound and the only known female aboard, was male
New DNA test results reveal more accurate details about Hatch
Testing said it had many characteristics with modern breed of Jack Russell
Ship was rediscovered in 1971 and the entire contents was excavated between 1979 and 1982
By Thomas Burrows for MailOnline
19 October 2014
Daily Mail
She is the world's most famous sea dog who went down with her ship almost 500 years ago.
But now it has emerged that Hatch, who drowned with the crew of the Mary Rose and the only known female aboard, was male.
DNA testing of the crew has revealed the true sex of the unfortunate hound, who acquired the nickname Hatch after divers found the dog's remains near the sliding hatch door of the Mary Rose's carpenter's cabin.
New DNA test results have revealed that Hatch - the world's most famous sea dog - was in fact a male
The Mary Rose sank on July 19, 1545 during the Battle of the Solent, taking with her 500 men and Hatch the dog
Experts believe the hound, estimated to have been between 18 months' and two years' old, earned his keep as the ship's ratter – superstitious Tudor seafarers did not have cats on board ship as they were thought to bring bad luck.
Hatch's remains went on display four years ago at the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, where some of the 19,000 objects from Henry VIII's ill-fated flagship are on show.
The well-preserved skeleton of the hound, which has just a few teeth and paw bones missing, was excavated when it was brought to the surface of the Solent in 1982.
Without DNA testing available (DNA profiling was not announced by the University of Leicester until 1986), experts had to arrange the dog's bones by hand and came to the conclusion that Hatch was a female because of the size and characteristics of the bones.
They were also able to establish from the size, shape and composition that Hatch did not receive much exercise.
The Mary Rose was rediscovered in 1971 and between 1979 and 1982 the entire contents of the ship were excavated
The Mary Rose, which was completed in 1512, sank as she defended England from a French invasion force
But the new DNA test results published in Forensic Science International Journal detail more accurate details about the dog.
Maritime archaeologist Alex Hildred, who co-authored the new report, told the Independent: 'Genomic DNA extraction is something that we have only recently been able to use in amplifying ancient DNA.
It can give us the sex, colourings, coat and regressive genes and confirm that Hatch is in fact a boy dog.'
The testing also suggests Hatch shared many genetic characteristics with the modern breed of Jack Russell.
The hound was most likely a cross-breed which shared some similarities with a whippet but with a dark brown and curly coat.
On May 31 last year, the new £35m Mary Rose Museum was opened in Portsmouth which shows off the artefacts raised
The Mary Rose today in the new museum. Her complete conservation will be finished in 2016, when she will be fully integrated with the new museum environment
The rebuilt Mary Rose Museum, next to Royal Navy ship HMS Victory in Portsmouth, opened in May 2013
How the ship lies inside the museum
After 34 years at sea and three wars, against France, Scotland and Brittany, the Mary Rose had been regarded by many as invincible.
Then, as she defended England from a French invasion force, she sank taking with her 500 men and a treasure trove of Tudor history with her to the seafloor on July 19, 1545.
The ship was rediscovered by divers in 1971 and between 1979 and 1982 the entire contents of the ship were excavated resulting in the recovery of around 20,000 objects.
Last year, a new £35million museum was unveiled in Portsmouth which shows off many thousands of the artefacts raised from the wreck.
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